About the author
John Riddington Young (‘JRY’) was born in
Sheffield, Yorkshire. He first worked as a GP,
but then became a traditional general otolaryngologist
and head and neck surgeon in
North Devon. Because of his passionate and
outspoken views on the incompetence of NHS
hospital managers, he was suspended twice.
He was included on the regional newspaper’s
list as one of the “50 Coolest People in Devon.”
He has written twelve books, the first being
a study of the “Inns and Taverns of Old Norwich,”
where he worked as a houseman in
1972. In 2009, he wrote “Poetry, Physick, Pestilence
and Pox,” a work on medical Ideas in
classical English Poetry. Other obscure books
written by him include an illustrated volume
on Devon Church History and a short book on
Military History.
He spent many years in the Territorial Army,
where he eventually became a Colonel. He
lists his numerous hobbies as long-distance
walking, fishing, shooting, making stainedglass
windows and mosaics, cabinet-making,
painting, Punch and Judy, British bulldogs,
growing prize-winning sweet peas, bookbinding
and calligraphy.
